Spinnenkäse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spinnenkäse, which literally means spider cheese, more correctly called Milbenkäse (mite cheese), is a German speciality cheese produced exclusively in the village of Würchwitz, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages, has recently been revitalized.
Quark flavoured with salt and caraway is shaped into small balls or cylinders and dried. Then it is placed in a wooden box inhabited by cheese mites (Tyroglyphus casei L.) for at least three months. The excrement of the mites, which are fed with rye flour, diffuse into the cheese and cause fermentation. After one month, the cheese rind turns yellow, after three months reddish-brown. Some producers, however, allow the cheese to ripen for up to one year, until it has turned black.
The taste is said to be similar to that of Harzer cheese, but slightly bitter. Mites clinging to the cheese rind are also consumed. Spinnenkäse is not strictly legal, as the sale of foodstuffs containing living animals is forbidden in Germany; however Spinnenkäse is tolerated by the authorities for the sake of its ancient tradition.
A similar type of cheese is apparently produced in the Spanish town of Oviedo.
